Adapter shade



W. M. HICKS Aug. 4, 1942.

ADAPTER SHADE Filed May 8, 1940 INVENTOR M1 liam Morse Hichs BY ATTO Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADAPTER SHADE William Morse Hicks, Cincimiati, Ohio Application May 8, 1940, Serial No. 333,898

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a window shade of the type which includes a spring-rotated roller operating in a manner somewhat similar to that disclosed in the U. S. patent of Collins, No. 1,949,356, issued February 27, 1934. As an improvement over the Collins shade, the window shade of the present invention is made readily and quickly reversible end for end to double the useful life thereof, without employing skilled 1abor, and is adapted for application to new or used rollers of different sizes with even less effort. Other features and advantages are specified more fully in the objects stated below.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention, to provide a spring roller shade with an adapter tube so dimensioned as to snugly receive a roller of a small standard diameter, or to be displaced from a hem of the shade upon insertion of a roller of a larger standard diameter which fits the shade hem, thereby rendering the mounting of the shade upon a roller a task easily accomplished in an instant, and alignment being automatically achieved without special consideration.

Another object of the invention is to provide cealed normally from view, thereby to double the life of the shade without requiring the services of a sewing machine or a skilled worker in making the reversed shade have the appearance of a new shade.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a window shade with one or more roller-receiving hems designed and constructed in such a manner as to protect the hem stitches from chafing against an adjacent convolution of the web, and also to furnish a valley or linear depression along the stitch seam, for preventing marking or creasing of the web by the stitching, this being accomplished without added expense and labor during manufacture of the windoW shade.

A further object of the invention is to render possible the merchandising of window shades without rollers, so that the purchasers used rollers may be re-used without any inconvenience whatsoever, with a substantial saving of money for replacements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a replacement window shade for application to new or used shade rollers, wherein a transversely creped resilient and yieldable hem is furnished at one Or both ends of the web, rendering automatic the accommodation of the hems to different sizes of existing rollers.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side edge view of a window shade embodying the present invention, showing it suspended from a standard roller of small size.

2 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view of the upper end of the shade shown in Fig. 1, illustrating certain details of construction whereby the line of stitching is protected against chafing and prevented from marking the shade web when the web is wound and unwound relative to a roller.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental longitudinal cross-section of the device of the invention, illustrating the insertion of a standard roller of small size.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the application of a standard roller of larger S126.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental perspective view of a modified form of shade, illustrating a transversely creped resilient and yielding hem which will accommodate both standard sizes of rollers illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

With reference to the accompanying drawing, the character 2 indicates the intermediate or body portion of a window shade web, Wh le 3 and 4 indicate, respectively, the upper and lower end portions of the web. An ordinary spring roller for suspending either end of the shade is indicated at 5, said roller having a spindle 6 extending from one end thereof, as is customary. As shown at the upper end of Fig. 1, the end portion is formed to provide a hem. by means of a transverse row of stitching l, and this hem is of such size as to snugly but displaceably embrace a cylinder or tube 8 of cardboard, fiber, or other material, the inside diameter of which cylinder or tube is dimensioned to snugly but displaceably encircle the shade roller 5.

It is of importance to the present invention, that the thickness of the cardboard cylinder or tube 8 be such that the tube will nicely receive a standard shade roller of the %Z size, whereas the outside diameter of the cylinder or tube will approximate the outside diameter of the next larger standard size of shade roller, the diameter of which approximates 1 inch. The hem 3, or the hem 4 which is of the same size, is constructed of just the proper size to snugly but displaceably receive either the tube 8, or a larger size roller such as is illustrated at 9 in Fig. 4. The smaller standard roll 5 is shown fragmentally in Fig. 3, and will be seen to fit within the tube or cylinder 8. The tube or cylinder of Fig. 4, of course, will be displaced from the hem 3 upon application of the roller to the shade. In the event that the shade web is of a grade or type of cloth or paper which might rotationally slip upon the exterior of the tube, any suitable fastening means such as a tack I may be resorted to for fastening. the hem and the tube against rotation relative to the roller. It is immaterial what form of fastening means is employed, so long as it will perform the fastening function.

It will be understood by reference to Fig. 3, that the interior of the tube 8 will readily'accommodate a standard roller such asv in which event the tube 8 will be permitted to remain as part of the shade assembly. It will be understood that the shade is manufactured, shipped and sold with the tubeor cylinder 8 in conjunction therewith, so that the shade in a wound condition about the tube or cylinder, will not be subjected to crushing or other damage before it reaches the'purchaser.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will. be seen that the attempt to insert. the larger standard shade roller 9' into the hem 3, will result insimultaneous displacement of tube or cylinder 8, so that the hem will directly contactthe full length of the roller when the latter is fully inserted therein. Under such circumstances, the tube or cylinder will not become partoi" the completed assembly.

Whether the small or large standard roller ,is used as a. suspension means for the shade, the

shade will automatically align itself upon the roller and will hang true or plumb therefrom. Accordingly, the purchaser need not be concerned with problems of alignment or attachment-of a replacement shade relative to a used or new roller, but may effect the replacement with a minimum expenditure of time-and effort. Inasmuch as the hem 4 atthe-lower end of the shade web is identical to that at the upper end, the web may bodily be reversed whenever the lower half thereof becomes soiled or damaged, thereby doubling the effective life and service of. the shade. The lower hem, of course, will receive" any suitable reinforcing stripor element I2 for stiffening the lower end portion of the shade and providing an anchorage for a shade pull, if desired. The broken line l.3- indicates how the hem 4 may be distended for reception; of a roller when the web isreversed end for end.

In furnishing a window shade with a hem provided by applying: a line of stitching I transversely of the web, it is desirable to make special arrangements for disposition of the line of stitching to a location at which it will not mark or deform. successive convolutions of the: web when wound upon the roller. Marking of the web by the: line of stitching will occur under ordinary circumstances, due to the fact that the sewing needle produces a small up-standing cone or'projection M- Wherever the needle penetrates the web, and this has been found to result in elevating the stitches from the: surface of the web to such an extent as to-form a ridge across the web capable of producing a mark or line upon successive convolutions of the web. Toovercome thistendency of the stitched line to mark or line the web, the extreme end portion of the-web is folded twice upon itself in. the form of a 2,. to dispose the terminaledge [5 in very close proximity with, or against, the line of stitching I. This results in producing a S-shaped curve or distortion I5 in the web between the hem section and the main body portion of the web, thereby to furnish a transverse valley or groove I! within which the line of stitching is included and impressed. It will therefore be evident that rotation of the tube 8 with hem 3 attached, in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, will result in winding the body portion 2 of the web completely about the hem portion 3, and upon the buffer means formed by the Z-shaped folds, without subjecting the stitching to such contact with an adjacent convolution of the web ,as would chafe the stitching or mark the web convolution.

To more specifically describe the buffer means above mentioned, it may be stated that the portion [8 of the hem is reversely projected to provide a fold or layer I9 extending in the general direction of the web body portion, said fold being turned upon itself in exactly the opposite direction to provide a flap or terminal strip 28 projecting toward and substantially against the lineof stitching, with its longitudinal edge l5 lying close to the first fold or bend 2 which includes the stitching line. The second foldor crease 22 is remote from the stitching and may extend over a small sector of the cylindrical hem 3.

By folding the material of the terminal end of the. web as above stated, the resultant buffer means performs the functions claimed for it, while at the same time presenting a pleasing appearancewhen it is exposed at the lower end of the shade, as illustrated at the bottom of Fig. 1. Folding of the" buffer constituents in any other fashion than herein taught, will either impair the protective function thereof, or will result in an unsightly appearance when disposed at the lower position with a reinforcing strip 12- within the adjacent hem, It has been found unnecessary to fix the laminations l9 and 23 to the web 2, but such fixation by means of an adhesive or otherwise could be resorted to if desired.

Attention is now directed to Fig. 5, wherein the shade web 2 is provided with a hem 30 by means of a transverse line of stitching 3|. In this form of the invention, the whole or any partof the hem material is creped transversely of the web, that is, substantially axially of the hem axis, so as to render the hem distendable for increasing its diameter automatically upon inserting therein one of the larger standard rollers such as 9 of Fig. 4. As will be understood, the creases forming the creped portion normally are rather tight or contracted, so that the hem initially will snugly receive one of the smaller standard rollers. The creping of the hem, accordingly, adapts the hem for snug reception of either of the standard roller sizes, thereby eliminating the need for a tube or cylinder such as B of Figs. 1 and 2. The main body portion 2 of the web maybe creped, or not, depending upon the demands of the purchaser. In this form of reversible replacement shade, it is considered unnecessary to furnish a buffer of the character previously explained in connection with Fig. 2, wherefore it is deemed immaterial whether the stitching be applied through two or three thicknesses of the web material in one manner or another. As shown, the terminal edge 32 of the web is tucked underneath the exposed portion 33'of the hem, and in contact with the body 2 of the web, with the line of stitching 3| passing.

through the three thicknesses of material thereby presented. Should the main body portion 2 of the web be plain and smooth, as in Fig. 2, it would then be desirable to employ the buffer construction of Fig, 2.

Although in the preceding explanation it has been assumed that the replacement shade will be furnished with identical hems at opposite ends of the web in order to efiect an end to end reversal for the purposes specified, it is to be clearly understood that shades having their upper ends only constructed in accordance with the teachings of Figs. 2 and 5 are considered improvements over existing reversible shades of known character. Various other modifications, as well as changes in structural details of the de vice, may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

As is well known in the art, some of the longer shade rollers have been standardized t a 1%" and a 1%." diameter, and it is intended, of course, that the invention is applicable to these as well as standard sizes. The thickness of the rigid tube or cylinder 8 would then approximate instead of the thickness required in adapting the shade to standard rollers of the smaller sizes specified in an earlier part of this description.

In the accompanying drawing the shade web thicknesses are greatly exaggerated so as to clearly illustrate the principal features of the invention, however, it will be found in practicing the invention, that various humps and distortions evident on the drawing views will actually be present on such a small scale as to be almost imperceptible to the eye of the observer. That is to say, in actual practice it will be impossible or at least very diflicult, to find in the completed structure any perceptible irregularity at the stitching or at the bufier means, although in fact the stitching will be protected and sunken into the valley or groove I! for the purposes specified herein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a window shade structure, the combination of a web of flexible material having an end portion and a body portion, said end portion being creped transversely of the web and turned upon itself to provide a variable size hem, the hem initially being in a contracted condition to snugly receive a shade roller of small standard size, and stretchable by reason of the creped character thereof to snugly receive a shade roller of the next larger standard size.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a web of paper window shade material having an end portion and a body portion, said end portion being creped transversely of the web, turned upon itself and fastened to the body portion thereby to provide a hem, the crepeing lines extending longitudinally of the hem with the crepe initially in a contracted condition to render the hem snugly receptive of a window shade roller of standard size, the creping being stretchable in a direction to enlarge the size of the hem upon insertion therein. of a shade roller of the next larger standard size.

WILLIAM MORSE HICKS. 

